Five Mandela Effect quizzes and multiple theories down, we are entering the final stretch of this Cryton Chronicles series. Our next highlighted topic is one that has captured the imagination of the masses for ages — the possibility of time travel. It's a concept that's been featured in harrowing novel/movie plots, debated within scientific fields, and at the core of numerous conspiracy theories. You can always find people with supposed pictures and/or videos proving the existence of time travel online, especially YouTube. There's definitely no shortage of information coming down the pipeline!

I've long been fascinated with time travel and it's easy to understand why so many dream about what life would be like if they were able to travel to the past — making new choices — or glimpse into the future. But with great power comes great responsibility. And just how the element of time travel can destroy an otherwise great movie and/or television series, there are some inherent dangers involved when manipulating the time-space continuum.

The Butterfly Effect

In Chaos Theory, the Butterfly Effect is the phenomenon whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere; the major reference being how a butterfly fluttering its wings in one part of the world could play the role in creating something as intense as a hurricane in another part of it. In time travel, this translates into changing something seemingly minor in the past — whether accidentally or intentionally — and it having a massive change in the future (or rather, present). A time traveler goes back in time and kills a prehistoric butterfly and he comes back to a world where Hitler won the second World War, with Nazis patrolling the streets on their laser-adorned dinosaur mounts. Or something like that.

Sorry about the quality of the video, but I'm sure you get the idea.

Some believe that The Mandela Effect is being caused by individuals traveling back in time, essentially rewriting history, and that the phenomenon is a side-effect from the endeavor. But it's somehow being disrupted and a full conversion to the new timeline isn't occurring on a conscious level for some.

While it's definitely an interesting line of reasoning, it would seem to contradict the "small changes creating large, unexpected results" rhetoric associated with time travel. Granted, not everything thing has to be so dramatic, and what the public at large knows and understands about the possibilities of time travel is mainly derived from an entertainment standpoint. It's very plausible that everything we've ever been exposed to on the concept is completely off-kilter from how it would actually work in the really real world.

It still begs the question "why" certain people aren't folding into the new timelines potentially created from time travel, but I suppose that exists for any theory attempting to explain The Mandela Effect. Why is it happening? For most it's no longer a question of if.

In regards to the time travel hypothesis, there have been relatively newer claims that the ability to bend the time-space continuum has existed for decades and kept secret by the government as they've tested the technology numerous times. One such claim comes from a man named Andrew D. Basiago, who is a purported whistleblower of one such secret government time travel/teleportation program. He was briefly featured in the second video posted in this entry and in our next segment we will take a slightly closer look into his story...

Are you fascinated by the concept of time travel? What has been one of you favorite books and/or movies based on the subject matter? Do you believe that time travel is (or could be) possible? Do you think that any of the current claims of time travel are genuine? Do you think people are currently involved in time traveling projects and are essentially rewriting history? Could it be the cause behind The Mandela Effect?

It’s been a long while, so I thought I would give a brief look into the reason(s) behind my absence. You’ll have to forgive my potentially awkward, stilted jibber-jabber. It may take some time for me to get warmed up…

Dreams in the Shade of Ink is back with more Flash Fiction for the A to Z Challenge 2017! Last year my segments throughout April painted a puzzled tapestry of prose and I hope to provide some new, entertaining stories that you'll enjoy!

recent META

The A to Z Challenge 2017 is over and it's time to reflect on how the event went! There were booster pack openings, there were storylines and mechanics to observe within the world of Magic: The Gathering!

Join me as I discuss the ups and downs of this year's Magic Mixer theme.

This year for the A to Z Challenge 2017 Meta MTG presents the Magic Mixer! What's that mean? Your guess is as good as mine... What I do know, however, is that this year's theme is obviously still all about Magic: The Gathering!

Join me as I attempt to highlight a different Magic set each day of the challenge in different ways, from pack openings to discussions about a set's storyline and/or mechanics!